:fence:
Well, ooookaaaayyyy... Since migraines aren't as off topic tonight as they would be during court proceedings, I guess I'll share my nightmarish experiences with migraines, and what it took for me to finally get them under control. Back in Oct of 1997, I was driving on an Atlanta interstate (I-285) on the way to a line dancing lesson at a country bar, and found myself in the middle of a 5-car pile-up when someone behind me didn't notice that traffic in front of her had come to a dead stop due to construction, and started the chain reaction MVA going ~70mph. I walked away from the accident, feeling shaken up and disoriented, but thought I was otherwise uninjured.
It didn't take long for me to realize I was NOT OK.
![Frown :( :(](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
And for the next 6 months, I suffered with constant debilitating migraines (never had even a mild headache before the accident), along with severe neck & back pain, with neuropathy in my upper and lower extremities.
With the migraines, I had extreme hypersensitivity to light & sound, nausea/vomiting, slurred speech and visual disturbances such as double vision, and spreadsheet lines looked crooked as I tried to work from home :crosseyed: , and every little movement was sooooo painful! Day after day, I felt like I was outside my body watching myself struggle... very disoriented! My friends said there were moments when they were attempting to talk to me, and I "wasn't there". I tried Imitrex and Maxalt with very little relief.
After 6 months of this insanity, I was referred to a neurologist, who administered an
occipital nerve block... shots in the back of my head, at the base of my skull.
MAGIC! Finally, some relief! The migraines were much less frequent and less severe after the occipital nerve block. I continued with these nerve blocks every 2-3 months for the next 2 years, with supplemental Maxalt (quick-dissolve, at the onset of the "aura"), and nightly Neurontin to assist in prevention of headaches and neuropathy.
The migraines are relatively infrequent these days, and very manageable
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
. Plus, I know the triggers to avoid.
MSG is the biggest one for me... Ingesting it makes me nauseous and feverish, and I ache from head to toe, especially my head and my lower back, and I get heart palpitations BIG TIME. Neurontin, quick-dissolve Maxalt, a gazillion vitamin & mineral supplements, monthly chiropractic treatments, and daily prayer are all I need to keep the pain at a manageable level now. :dance:
Feel free to pm me if you want to discuss this issue further. I don't want to get in trouble for dwelling too long on an off topic subject. But I've learned so much in dealing with these injuries through the years, and am always happy to share what I've learned in an effort to alleviate someone else's pain! :loveyou:
Regarding JA's migraines: I am withholding judgement as to whether they're real or fake, but after what I've been through, I'm not sure she knows what a real migraine is. :moo: :cow: